Should I be expected to mark mock exams while off sick?

[Bugsandbeds]

I had surgery last Tuesday and I'm off work until end of next week. My head of department has sent a set of year 12 mock exams papers to mark for my class. He sent them to my house. I'm not laid up in bed but doing basic tasks is very tiring and I'm in pain and on regular strong pain medication.

Do I just mark the exams and not make a fuss? If I don't then either him or one of my other colleagues will have to do in time for a data entry deadline. I am however, annoyed he's sent them to me when I'm off sick.

I set work for all of my lessons whilst I'm off as expected/school policy.

No you absolutely don't. You can't be asked to do any work when off sick, especially if you've been signed off.

Absolutely no chance do you do this!

I have once or twice taken work to people but ONLY after they have repeatedly said 'please, I am bored out of my brain' type of thing when they are well down the line of recovering from surgery or what have you and I feel confident I'm not doing them a disservice by agreeing.

Expecting you to do it whilst signed off sick is completely unacceptable.

NEU advice. Scroll down for being asked to do marking when off sick.

https://neu.org.uk/advice/your-rights-work/contracts/sick-leave/teachers-sick-pay-and-sick-leave-entitlement

No. Don't worry about your colleagues, if they need to request cover so that they can do the marking, then that's an option for them.

Send an email to the union giving a heads up and asking them to email your HOD requesting that these scripts are collected and taken back to school for the appropriate person to mark.

I'm a HOD and I would never do this to a member of my team who was off sick.

No. This is absolutely shocking. Is there any possibility that the HOD has misinterpreted something that you have said as an indication that you are willing to mark? Have you been replying to emails while you have been off? This categorically would not excuse his actions but if you have made yourself contactable then you may have inadvertently given the impression that you are well and able enough to undertake marking.

Contact your union and go over HOD’s head to his line manager or directly to the headteacher to state explicitly that you are too unwell to mark, and that the papers will need to be collected. Don’t respond to day-to-day work correspondence if you have been. You shouldn’t have to draw your own boundary when on sick leave but it sounds like it is necessary here.

No you don’t do the marking! You HOD needs to speak to higher up and ask for a data deadline extension if they need it but it is not OK to ask you to mark,

If you are in pain /on pain meds your making is likely to not be any good anyway!